Faculty for Electrical Engineering &

Information Technology
Communication Networks Institute Prof. Dr.-Ing. C. Wietfeld
21.11.2024

Assignment No. 2
for Lecture

Computer Systems
(WiSe 24/25)

Family Name:
Given Name:
Matric. No.:
Enrolled for: 2 Automation & Robotics
2 others

P
Problem 1 2 3

Maximum marks: 13 12 15 40

Marks achieved:

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 Problem 1: CPU, basic knowledge

Problem 1: CPU, basic knowledge

Please give short and up-to-the-point answers to the following questions in the context of the
lecture.

1. Which two basic architectures can be distinguished in CPU design? Which design feature
makes the difference?

2. Explain the concepts of RISC and CISC computers and distinguish both! Is this distinc-
tion rigid?

3. How do Storage Programmable Computers relate to finite state machines?

4. Give a sketch of a CPU with the minimum amount of active entities to accomplish the
tasks required for a Princeton architecture machine.

5. Which element in the CPU is in charge of keeping track of the order of function calls and
how is it operated?

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 Problem 2: Pipelining Generics

Problem 2: Pipelining Generics

1. Name the stages of the pipeline and explain their meaning with a few words each.

2. Which general kinds of hazards may occur in a pipelined processor with a single pipeline?

3. Name a remedy against the RAW hazards. Explain its operation.

4. Draw a pipelining diagram for the following sequence of instructions in case of a 5-stage
pipeline, assuming no forwarding.
add R4, R5, #5
bgt l_next, R4, 10
...
label_next:sub R3,R9,R10

Use the diagram depicted in figure 1 for your solution.

HINTS:the mnemonic bgt means "branch if greater than". The branch is considered to
be taken here.

processed Time/1 clock per cycle

Figure 1: Template for pipeline action

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 Problem 3: An FSM to Implement a Bar Graph Display

Bar Graph

average active
1 2 3 10
service requests

Figure 2: Illustration of a bar graph

Problem 3: An FSM to Implement a Bar Graph Display

You have been given order to implement a bar graph display as shown in figure 2 which should
indicate the average rate of service requests in a system. The operating conditions are as follows:

• each individual service request takes 1 second to be completed.

• services may be handled in parallel so the rate (the time it takes until the next service
completes) scales by 1/n if there are n service requests in processing.

• the bar graph has 10 positions, where each position means "one service in process".

• for each light in the bargraph there is one output. You may use the expression
bar[i] = f alse/true
to switch the light off and on respectively.

• to conserve energy, the supply of the bargraph must be switched off while there are no
lights to be illuminated.

• time is modelled by the expression after #, where # symbolizes a time given in seconds.

• you may employ a helper variable "count" (which might be redundant) to store the current
level of activity.

• you may state bar = f alse to switch all lights off in one statement.

1. Which notations to describe such an FSM (which FSM types) are known to you? Describe
the distinctive properties of each named style!

2. Which type of FSM is your choice to implement as solution for this problem? Give a
reason for your decision.

3. Give a sketch which matches your previous decision, defining a solution for the problem.

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 Faculty for Electrical Engineering &
Information Technology
Communication Networks Institute Prof. Dr.-Ing. C. Wietfeld
21.11.2024

Assignment No. 2
for Lecture
Computer Systems WiSe 24/25
Pages for Solutions

Family Name:
Given Name:
Matric. No.:
Enrolled for: 2 Automation & Robotics
2 others

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Problem 1 worksheet 1

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worksheet 2 Problem 1

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Problem 2 worksheet 1

processed Time/1 clock per cycle

Figure 3: Template pipeline action (backup for participant)

processed Time/1 clock per cycle

Figure 4: Template for pipeline action (backup for participant)

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worksheet 1 Problem 3

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Problem 3 worksheet 2

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further worksheet

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further worksheet

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